More Than Just A Piece
by thepandagirl16
Summary: "We can win this. Or she can. I won't allow myself to come home without her. I will fight the careers for her. I will fight everyone to keep her alive. I will find food for her. I will find shelter for her. She will win. I must do this for Katniss." Peeta's point of view of the Hunger Games.
1. Chapter 1

**First of all, I do not own the Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins does. I am not her. Second of all, I'd like to thank my friend who kept on telling me to write this after she read my other stories. And I'd like to thank my other friend who gave me advice for this chapter. Anyway, here's the story. Enjoy!**

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No! I couldn't have heard that right. Primrose Everdeen, the girl whose sister I have loved for years, the girl whose sister I watched walk home every day, the girl whose sister I risked a beating from my mother to help her family, just got chosen to compete in a fight to the death. I know she can't be any older than twelve. The thought of the pain Katniss will suffer if she doesn't survive is unthinkable. Then the unexpected happens. Through Katniss's terrified screaming, she stops and yells something out. The peace keepers holding her back stop. She begins to walk foreword. She passes her screaming sister. She gives her a hug and tells her something, that I am unable to hear. The girl continues screaming and grabs a hold of Katniss.

Gale Hawthorne, the boy I have envied for years, comes and pulls Prim from Katniss. He tries to comfort her as Katniss bravely walks up to the stage. That should have been me! I should have been there to help her! Oh what a fool I am! I lost my final chance for Katniss to notice me! Now I will never see her again. Even _if_ she does win she would be able to have probably any boy in Panem. Why would she choose me when she could choose Finnick Odair or anyone?

"Well bravo! That's the spirit of the games!" Effie Trinket interrupts my thought. Katniss stands on the stage with her hair braided in a beautiful but different way than she usually wears it. "What's your name?" Katniss freezes. "Katniss Everdeen." Effie smiles. "I bet my buttons that was your sister. Don't want her to steal all the glory, do we? Come on, everybody! Let's give a big round of applause to our newest tribute!" Effie just doesn't get it. I may _never _see Katniss again and she wants us to applaud for it. There is silence.

I don't think. I raise three fingers of my left hand to my lips and hold it up. Soon others around me join in. The whole population eventually does it. It used to be used at funerals. I did it to show my admiration. To tell her good-bye. To tell her I love her. She stares shocked. She may never know that it was me who just started it, but at least she knows District Twelve cares for her.

"It's time to choose our boy tribute!" Oh great. Nothing could make this day worse. The love of my life has already got chosen for the Hunger Games. I pay little attention as Effie searches through the ball full of the names of all the boys' names of District Twelve. She slowly pulls out a piece she selects. She dramatically unfolds the slip. "Peeta Mellark!" she reads. No! This cannot be happening! Why? I stand shocked. This is it. I will never see my family again. My brothers! The bakery! Everything! I will never see anything again!

I slowly walk up. I feel tears building up in my eyes, blurring my vision. What am I doint? I can't cry! Everyone will see this! All the people I will soon fight against will categorize me as weak for crying! I pull myself together and step up to the stage, nearly unaware of what I am doing. I stand on the stage, face to face with Katniss Everdeen. Our eyes meet. Her green eyes are as beautiful as ever. She looks strong and brave compared to me though. I feel weak. She hasn't shed a tear where as I am crying. I can still see the fear in her eyes though. There is no doubt she is as nervous as I am. At least I know my family will be taken care of after I'm gone. She has to hunt for all her food. She lives in the Seam with her mother and sister. "Any volunteers?" ask Effie. Like I expected, no one volunteers. Not even my brother who is eighteen volunteers. I need to be brave! I stand up straight. I will never see any of this again, because I will fight for Katniss to come home. She will make it home. I will die if it is the only way.

Sure we are both from District Twelve, the poorest district in the country, but I am strong. She can hunt. We can win this. Or she can. I won't allow myself to come home without her. I will fight the careers for her. I will fight everyone to keep her alive. I will find food for her. I will find shelter for her. She will win. I must do this for Katniss.

I stand completely still as the mayor reads the Treaty of Treason. I scan the crowd for my family. In the very back I see them. My mother scowls. She doesn't look sad though. I'm not surprised. She has never cared about me. My father is a different story. I see his face redden. He is crying. I turn my focus back to the mayor. As he finishes he gestures to Katniss and I to shake hands. I turn to face her and extend my hand. She shakes it. Her hand is cold. We look each other in the eyes. I remember that day when I through the bread out to her in the rain. I regret not walking out and handing it to her. I was young and stupid. She probably forgot about that. A day hasn't gone by where I haven't thought of it.

At the time I knew she was struggling to keep her mother and sister alive. I saw her every single day searching for food. One day it was pouring rain. The grass behind the bakery was soft with mud. As I was mixing the dough for the bread, I was observing the tree blowing with the wind out the window. Although it was only afternoon it was dark. Then I saw a movement other than the tree. It was a person. It was a person, no larger than I was at the time. The person was searching franticly through our back trash can. I called my mother to see what the person's problem was. My mother ran out the back door. The child in the back yard turned around when my mother slammed the door. That was when I saw who it was. Katniss Everdeen.

I knew I had to do something. She was skinny. She most likely hadn't eaten in days. I watched as my mother yelled at her and tried to shoo her away. Katniss attempted to run, but got to the corner of our property and fell over weak. She dropped whatever she was holding. It fell in the mud. My mother came back in and growled. She ran back to helping customers. Katniss sat up in the back yard. I finished putting my bread in the oven. I needed to help her!

As I pulled the bread out of the oven, I thought I could just give it to her. My mother would never have let my give away our valuable bread. I did what I had to do to help her. I dropped the bread in the fire. Although I quickly removed it, the scent filled the whole bakery. My mother came running in screaming. "What did you do?" She yelled. I showed her the bread. "No one decent will buy that! What a waste! Feed it to the pigs!" She ordered my. I opened the door and tossed a piece into the pin with the pigs. "You are so stupid! How can you do something so foolish, Peeta?" I remanded silent. She slapped me across the face with the palm of her hand. It was painful but worth it since I knew I would be able to help Katniss. My mother angrily went back inside. I looked to Katniss. She saw all of it. I tossed her the rest of the loaf that I feed the pigs with. Then I threw her the other loaf. She crawled to it. Once she got it she held it like it was gold. I went back inside.

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**So, what did you think? Like it? Hate it? Review and tell me! I'd love to hear advice and what you guys like or didn't like about it! Thank you for reading! I plan to update by next weekend.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry it took so long to update! I thought I should update it for New Years. I really can't wait til Catching Fire comes out! They have finished filming it! Anyway Happy New Years! Enjoy!**

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After we shake hands we are taken to separate rooms in the Justice Building. Even if I tried, there would be no way I could escape. Peacekeepers surround me. I am shown to a small room down the hallway. It has a couch and a little table with a lamp on it. I wait impatiently for my family to visit. What if they don't even care enough to come? Surely my father does at least. My last moments here slowly tick by as I wait. I can't sit still anymore. I stand up and pace the room. Tomorrow I will be in the capitol. I believe they have the tribute parade two nights after the reaping. That means it will be tomorrow night. Then there is training. I forget how long that last. They never taught us in school of what it consist of. There are interviews about a week later, the day before the games. I will have this time to get Katniss to trust me, and this time to live.

Someone bust opens the door. My mother and father come in the room. My father's face is red. He engulfs me in a hug. I hold on, for it will be my last. "Thank you," I whisper. I turn to my mother and offer her a hug. She doesn't allow me to. "District twelve might actually have a winner this year." MY mother is actually confident in me. She has never encouraged me in anyway before. The most she ever does for me is complimenting my bread, if I'm lucky. A smile spreads on to my face, through my tears. "She's a fighter, that one," my mother continues. I frown. Of course she wasn't talking about me. Why would my mother who never cared about me one bit think I could win, or even want me to? My dad shoots her a look.

"You are strong, Peeta." My father comforts me. I blink fast to keep my tears from coming out. "You can win. Be smart." He gives me another hug. "I won't be able to win," I say softly. "Sure you will." He is now crying softly. "No, I couldn't live without her." He knows I am talking about Katniss. He knows everything about how much I like Katniss. He was the one who first pointed her out to me on my first day of kindergarten. I remember that day. Her hair was in two braids instead of one and she wore a red plaid dress. We continue crying and hugging together as my mother just stands and admires the mahogany the table is made out of. "Times up," A peacekeeper interrupts us. "I love you," my father says as his last words to me. "Good bye," is all that my mother says before they are rushed out of the room.

My next visitor is someone I leased expected. Gale Hawthorne. He sits down. "Hey, Peeta. Can you do me a favor?" What could he want? I am not going to do anything for him. "I know this is a lot to ask for you, but could you please," he pauses. "I can't believe I'm asking you this. You're probably going to think I'm the most selfish guy in the world." He freezes. "What?" I ask him anxiously. "Could you please help Katniss win?" He looks ashamed right after he says it. I nod my head. "Yes. I'll do it." I tell him. "Oh my gosh, Peeta. You don't know how much this means to me. Her family. They just couldn't survive without her. You don't understand she provides them with all their food. They won't be able to live without her." He explains. "I know. Don't tell anyone this okay, but I have had the biggest crush on her since kindergarten," I regret telling him. "She is an amazing girl," is all he says back. "Thank you," he says before being forced to leave.

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**Sorry it was so short!**


	3. Chapter 3

Not even my own brother's show up after Gale stops in. We were never very close though. Both of them are my mother's favorites. She doesn't even try to hide the fact. Although my brothers never say anything, I know they don't like me. When I was younger, at school they were supposed to pick me up every other day. At least once a week they would "forget". I would just sit at my desk once all the other children were gone and wait. Some days they'd even wait a few hours. I'd be there way after the teachers left. I could have walked home on my own, but I was afraid. I would have had to walk through the Seam. All the kids from the Seam I knew were dirty, skinny, and just plain ugly. That is except Katniss. She was always beautiful. Anyway, my brothers would come together and fake apologies for leaving me at school. Once I would get home, they would have already eaten. My mother was too lazy and cared too little for me to cook something. The only thing I could do in the kitchen well at the time was ice cakes. My father would always end up cooking squirrel meat for me. Little did I know at the time, was that Katniss shoot the squirrels I ate.

The ride to the train station is short. The smell of the cars exhaust brings back old memories of when I used to help my dad make deliveries, back when I couldn't help make bread or anything else useful. We used to own an old beat up truck. It said Mellark Bakery on it. The thing barely ran. It made loud noises when it was on. I remember I used to help my dad load it up. I would always beg him if I could ride along with him. He usually gave in. I felt really cool, because few people in district twelve owned cars. I rode up in the front with him all through the town. We made deliveries to only the wealthiest people. Their houses were amazing looking. I used to be jealous when I was little. The whole way there, I can't help my tears because I know everything of home will now just be a memory.

Our arrival at the station is chaotic. Reporters from I'm guessing the Capitol are all around. Effie leads us through the swarms of people to the train. They have cameras focused only on Katniss and I. They make me feel uncomfortable. I try to smile, but I can't get myself to. That's what usually happens when I see people on cameras. They smile. I just can't now. It's impossible. I can barely even stop crying. Across the station on a wall, they are showing us. I look scared and weak next to Katniss, like I always do. I must show everyone that I am brave. I take a deep breath and attempt to hold in my tears. It doesn't work. Why can't I do this? I _am _weak. I _am _cowardly. Maybe my mother was right. Maybe I do have no chance of winning. I'm going to be a loser and end up dead and no one will remember me.

We stand on the train looking out for a few minutes while the cameras film us. Personally, I think it is very awkward. What am I supposed to do, wave? No. That would seem like I am enjoying this. I just stare blankly ahead. Eventually the doors close shut and instantly the train starts moving. I turn around. The very first thing I notice is the food. I have never in my life seen so much food in one place. My mouth starts to water. All the fruit on the tables looks so fresh. There are baked goods all around. It makes me miss home. I wonder who will take on icing the cakes once I'm gone. I look out the window. Our train is going at an astonishing speed. Everything goes by in a blur although I can barely feel us moving. With each second, we move further away from my home I will never see again.

I go to my private chamber to get some time alone. The bedroom is about the size of mine at home, only much more luxurious. It has cotton sheets and the softest blankets I have ever felt. I sit down and stare out the window. I don't know why I keep putting off talking to Katniss. This is what I wanted, to spend longer with her before she died, right? I guess not like this. I wanted both of us to be safe at home in District Twelve. I've never actually talked to her before, only fantasized about it. I never was brave enough to actually start a conversation with her. My brothers would tease me about it. "You can get up the nerve to watch her walk home every single day, but you can't even say something to her. What are you a four year old?" They would mock me. It angered me. They didn't know about love. All they seemed to know about was how to be mean to me. What will they do now without me? I imagine them teasing random little kids and laugh to myself.

Slowly the sun starts to set. It is truly a beautiful sight. My family will see the same sun set. Maybe I am not as far away from them as I though. We are all under the same sky. We will see the same sunset, sun rise and moon until I am dead. I just wish I could be with them and share my thoughts of the majestic orange of the sun. It's almost magical. I told them every night at dinner after we finished the baking for the day. I've always loved the color. It fascinates me. There's no way to copy it. It's almost as though it is so amazing, that the sky owns it. No one or anything can take it from the sun. Trust me, I've attempted to do so thousands of times using icing or anything else I could find.

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**As always, I hope you enjoyed and please review! **


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